— A Honda wrongful death lawsuit alleges the seat belt in a 2017 Honda Civic killed Burlington, New Jersey, resident 18-year-old Jacob L. Swann.
The May 27, 2025, fatal crash occurred on Route 31 near Titus Mill Road in Hopewell Township, New Jersey. The Civic had three teenage occupants, with Lukas J. Corcoran driving the car. In the rear seat was Jacob L. Swann wearing the 3-point lap/shoulder seat belt.
According to the lawsuit, the "Honda Civic entered the northbound lane of travel while traveling southerly and a collision transpired between the Honda Civic and another vehicle traveling northbound on N. Rt. 31."
The Hopewell Township Police Department says the Honda Civic crossed the center line and slammed head-on into an oncoming tractor trailer.
The two Honda Civic front seat occupants suffered severe injuries, but Mr. Swann was killed in the crash. The lawsuit says the Honda Civic was defective and the seat belt caused Swann's fatal injuries.
Even though the Civic and seat belts met or exceeded federal safety standards, the lawsuit claims the vehicle was defective.
"The 2017 Honda Civic at issue in this case was defectively designed and manufactured and unreasonably designed. The rear seat restraint system was not reasonably fit, suitable and safe for its intended purpose which is to provide protection in vehicular collisions." — Jacob Swann crash lawsuit
The intended purpose of a seat belt is to hold an occupant in place and prevent the person from being thrown forward or ejected from the vehicle. A rear seat belt also helps to prevent the occupant from being launched forward and striking any front seat occupants.
But the lawsuit alleges Honda could have used an alternative design to "minimize or eliminate" harm.
The plaintiffs complain the Civic "rear seat restraint system was not crashworthy," and the "rear seat restraint system, including but not limited to the seat components and the seat belt components were defective in design and workmanship."
Additionally, the plaintiffs argue the seat belt system was unsafe and caused injuries to Mr. Swann who suffered "dangerous and avoidable localized deceleration of vulnerable portions of his body that led to internal/fatal injuries."
Honda Civic driver Lukas Corcoran is also named as a defendant in the wrongful death lawsuit.
The Jacob Swann Honda Civic crash lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of Burlington County New Jersey: Swann et al., v. Honda Motor Company LTD., et al.